Method of forming shafts for golf clubs



NOV. 6, 1934. w H 1,979,430

' METHOD OF FORMING SHAFTS FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed March 19. 1932 I N V EN TOR. Carl MQ Yi. B Y

' ATTORNEY5 Patented Nov. 6, i934 UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF FORMING SHAFTS FOB; GOLF owns- Carl Wright, Ashtabula, Ohio, assignor to The American Fork & Hoe- Company, Geneva, Ohio,

an organization of Ohio Application March 19,

1932, Serial No. 599,955

9 Claims. (Cl. 29 -156) it has been proposed to form in the tube ribs,

grooves or the like.

A shaft generally of this character is show and described in the application for United States Letters Patent, filed by George B. Durell June 11, 1931, Serial No. 543,578.

In the process of making such shafts as hereto-\ fore proposed, for example that illustrated in the said pending application, inwardly directed grooves have been formed in the metal tube by dies and die operating mechanisms which press or draw the wall of the tube inwardly, beginning at a point spaced from the end of the tube and extending longitudinally over the tube for a predetermined desirable distance; and thereafter the tube has been tapered, by steps or otherwise,

by other dies and die operating mechanisms.

The instant invention relates particularly to the method of forming the grooves in the tube blank and for subsequently tapering the tube,

the latter operation preferably being such as to taper thetube in successive steps of successively smaller diameter.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved tubular golf club shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method .of forming metallic tubular golf club shafts having properly graduated torsional characteristics in the different longitudinally disposed portions of the shaft.

Another object of my invention isto provide an improved method of making metal tubular golf club shafts of superior quality and operating characteristics.

Another object of my invention is toprovide an improved method of making a metallic tubular golf club shaft of the type having inwardly directed longitudinally extending ribs.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains.

My invention is fully disclosedin the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a golf club shaft embodying my invention and illustrating in broken lines a club head which may be associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view approximately full size of a tubular blank from which a shaft of my Y invention may. be formed;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating an initial drawin operation which may be performed on the blank "of Fig. 2 in forming the shaft of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the performance of another operation succeeding that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a part of a die mechanism which I may employ in performing the operation of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view illustrating in longitudinal cross-section, the metal tube after the operation ing three representative operations which may be I successively performed on the tube of Fig. 6;

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are views taken approxi- 7 I mately from the planes 11, 12 and 13, respectively, of Figs. 8, 9 and 10;

'Fig; 14 is a view taken approximately from the plane 14 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary view similar to a part of Fig. 1 but showing a modification. I

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have illustrated therein a tubular golf shaft made in accordance with my invention, and comprising a plurality of integrally formed substantially cylin- 35 drical tubular sections extending longitudinally of the shaft from a section 2 of least diameter, through intermediate sections of progressively increased diameter such as the sections 3, 4, 5 etc.,

until the larger end of the shaft is reached where it terminates in a cylindrical section 6 which may be suitably covered with a wrapping of leather or other hand'grip covering material according to the ordinary practice.. Preferably, a large number of the stepped sections, such as 3, 4, 5

etc is provided, the usual number being about .seventeen sections although this number may be varied.

The tubular section 2 in the preferred embodiment of my invention is preferably made of greater length than the adjacent sections of progressively larger diameter.

Internally, the shaft is provided with internal ribs 7- 7, preferably four in number, and equally spaced, although the number and the spacing may be .varied, the ribs extending from a point on the tube section 2 preferably longitudinally spaced from the end 8 of the tube as at 9, Fig. 1, and proceeding longitudinally of the shaft over a suitable extent of the stepped length of the 119 shaft as, for example, .to the point 12, Fig. 1, adjacent the upper end of the thirteenth section.

The ribs essentially comprise 'infolded portions of the lateral wall of the tube. The inward'radial extent of the ribs is greater in the smallest section, as for example, the section 2, and progres- "of the tube and ribs in Fig. 13 illustrates the ribs and the tube at approximately the plane 13 0f Fig.

l and the cross-sectional part of Fig. 11 illustrates the tube and the ribs '7 at approximately the plane 11 0f Fig. 1. a I q In folding in the wall of the tube to compose the ribs 7, the material of the tubewall is so operated upon that the fold composing the ribs is outwardly open as shown at 13. Thus the externalsurface of the shaft is not a continuous cylindrical surface at any point or portion coextensive with the grooves 7 but is longitudinally broken by fissures or circumferentially narrow grooves corresponding to each ,rib. Proceeding upwardly along the ribs, these external grooves or'flssures in the wall of the shaft, generally indicated at 13, areprogressively wider being at their maximum width at the upper end 12 thereof and as illustrated in the drawing.

I have found that a golf club having a handle shaft of the above described ribbed tubular structure, when used in play, reacts to the lateral strains and to thetorsional strains set up therein very much in the same manner as the oldv prior hickory shaft.

' -ly due to the fact that under torsional strain, the

I have found also that the lateral or transverse bending stressesput upon the shaft are absorbed by the ribs '7 in generally the same manner whether the-folds composing the ribs are entirely closed together at the surface of the shaft ,or

; whether they are-open as shown generally at 13;

but I have also found that the torsionalstresses applied to the shaft in playv are absorbed in a manner more nearly, if not exactly, like that in the hickory shaft, if, in forming the ribs, the grooves or fissures above described and shown generally at 13, are left of substantial circumferential width, that is,'are outwardly open as indicated at 13. By leaving open grooves or fissures 13 in the outer surface of the tubular shaft, a torsional resilience is introduced into' the shaft apparentgrooves on fissures 13 may resiliently open and close to slightdegrees. Each of the ribs is in cross-section ofgenerally u shape and can to a degree perform the functions of a U-shaped or hairpin spring, the sides of the U moving closer together or farther apart resiliently as torsion is put upon the shaft and released respectivelyi By-terminating the longitudinal fissures l3 and ribs 7 at a point spaced from the end 8 of the shaft, as for example at 9, an ungrooved unribbedportion 14 is left" to whijch the club head may be secured, and I- have found that the transmis-.

sion of thestresses from the club headinto the handle shaft is effected more efliciently if transmitted first into a continuous portion 14 of circular cross-section than into a. groove or ribbed portion, which would be the case if the grooves and ribs were extended to the end 8 of the shaft,

as illustrated in Fig. 1 is as follows.

having circular cross-section than upon a grooved one.

The extent upwardly along the shaft to which the ribs and outwardly open grooves or fissures 13 are carried may be varied.

The preferred process of making a. shaft such A cylindrical tube of the required diameter such as illustrated in Fig. 2 to provide-the handle end section 6 is operated upon by a die apparatus such as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the tube indicated at 15 is drawn in the direction of the arrow 16 through a die pass 17 to produce on the end of the tube 15 a section of reduced diameter 18 approximately of the samelength as the ungrooved portion 14 of the finished club shaft, that is, the portion between the end 8 of the finished'shaft and the beginningof the grooves therein at 9.

The tube is then removed from the die 19 having the die pass 17 and is next/operated upon by a die apparatus such as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The tube indicated at 15 is drawn in the direction of the arrow20 through a die pass consisting of a plurality such as four circumferentially spaced balls 23-23. The balls 23 are so disposed-in a die element 24 that the diameter determined by a circle tangent to their inwardly projectingsurfaces is approximately the diameter of the reduced portion 18-. The balls 23 may be mounted in their die element 24 in any suitable mannerbut, as illustrated, are disposed in 'llllil) suitable recesses 25 formed in'an inner cylindrical wall 26 of the die element 24, and may be re tained therein against longitudinal movement in The movement of the tube 15 throughthe die pass balls 23 may be'continuedover the length of the tube 15 to the extent desired for the grooves 7 as, for example, to the point 12, Fig. 1. Asuitable configuration for the ribs '7 is shown in Fig. 7.

- Having provided the ribs '7 as thus described, and the tube having been withdrawn from the ball die pass, the tube is then projected through a plurality of dies by successive operations to provide the successive, stepped sections above referred to of successively smaller diameter. In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 and in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, I have illustrated a number of successive dies by which the successively smaller diameter sections of the stepped tube may be formed, together with fragmentary portions of the tube itself, illustratin'g the successive reduction and the production thereon of the shoulders intermediate each adjacent pair of sections, and the formation of the ribs within the tube. I 1

In Fig. 8 at 31 is indicated a portion of the tube section 2 before drawing the same and at 32 one In the succeeding-Figures 9. to 13 inclusive,

successive reductions of the tubePto the final diameter. of the section 2, Figs. 10 and 13, is illustrated together with the successive changes in the shape internally and externally of the ribs and grooves, respectively, ending finally in the cross-sectional configuration of Fig. 13. As shown in this figure, inwardly the grooves have become the ribs 7 and outwardly the grooves have been almost entirely closed up leaving the longitudinal openings or crevices 13.

It is not intended that the Figures 8 to 13 illustrate successive sections of the golf shaft of Fig. 1, but that they illustrate successive phases of the tube and of the grooves therein during the successive drawing operations on the tube to produce the stepped sections. However, the relative sizes of the tube and the relative configurations of the ribs 7 shown in Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive are approximately those of the tube of Fig. 1 as considered taken from the planes 11, 12 and 13 thereof respectively.

The head 40 or hosel 41 thereof may be attached to the section 2 after it has finally been drawn through the last die and while it is in its cylindrical form.

In some cases, it may be desirable to attach the hosel 41 to the section 2 with the ribs 7 extending into the hosel. In such a case, the section 2, after the ribs have been formed therein,

secured thereto. This isillustrated in Fig. 15.

To perform the operation of drawing above described, one type of apparatus which maybe employed to effect this operation is described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,670,530, dated May 22, 1928, for Golf shafts, issued to Robert H. Cowdery; or in the pending application of Robert H. Cowdery, Serial No. 447,878, filed April 28, 1930. 1

Again, in some cases, it may be desired to form the section 2 by a drawing operation to taper it from substantially its conjunction with the section 3 to its end 8. This operation may be performed in drawing die and apparatus such as illustrated and described in the copending appli-- cation of Birney C. Batcheller, Serial No. 268,130,-

shafts which are not stepped as hereinbefore described, but which have agradual taper toward the head. To produce such a shaft embodying my invention, a cylindrical tube may have grooves formed therein by a die pass apparatus such as ,that shown in Figs. 4 and-5 herein, and then the cylindrical tube may be reduced to a tapered tube of smaller diameter to provide a tapering golf handle shaft with partly closed grooves therein.

The apparatus to taper such a grooved shaft may be that described fully in the above-mentioned Batcheller application.

Again, the advantages obtained 'in a handle shaft of this type resulting from the provision of internal ribs and corresponding external grooves or crevices which are not entirely closed up on the external surface of the shaft. may be Obtained and enjoyed in a shaft in which the l grooves are entirely closed tight by the tapering or stepping die operation on all of a part of the extent of the groove.

In the foregoing described method of making the shaft, it will be observed that by forming on the end of the tube a portion of reduced diameter, the grooves can subsequently be formed in the portion of unreduced diameter by a die pass, such'as a ball pass, of constant diameter, thus obviating the necessity, of a die mechanism whereby the diameter of the pass can be reduced be made therein within the spirit and scope of my invention without sacrificing its advantages.

I claim: 1

1. The method of making a golf club shaft which includes performing a longitudinal die drawing operation upon a seamless tubular blank to provide a portion of reduced diameter, forming in the wall of the unreduced portion by a longitudinal die drawing operation a plurality of 'circumferentially spaced outwardly flaring recesses, then longitudinally die drawing the tube to concurrently close up the sides of the recesses to dispose them mutually adjacent but out of "mutual contact and to form inwardly'projecting, I

longitudinally extending ribs coextensive with the recesses. I

2. The method of making a golf club shaft which includes performing a longitudinal d.e drawing operation upon a seamless tubular blank to provide a portion of reduced diameter, form: ing in'the wall of the unreduced portion by a longitudinal die drawing operation a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly flaring recessesbeginning at the juncture of the reduced and unreduced portions, then longitudinally die drawing the tube to render it of successively smaller diameter at spaced points successively nearer the reduced end and to circumferentially close up the sides of the recesses to dispose them mutually adjacent but out of mutual contact, and to form inwardly projecting longitudinally extending ribs coextensive with the recesses.

3. The method of making a golf club shaft which includes performing a longitudinal die drawing operation upon a tubular blank to provide aportion of reduced diameter at one end of the blank, forming in the wall of the unreduced portion by a longitudinal die drawing operation a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly flaring recesses beginning at the juncture of thereduced and unreduced portions and terminating at a point longitudinally spaced from the opposite end of the tube blank, then longitudinally die drawing the tube to concurrently close up the sides of the recesses to dispose them mutually adjacent but out of mutual contact and to form inwardly projecting longitudinally exj tending ribs coextensive with the recesses.

4. The method of making a golf club shaft which includes performing a longitudinal die drawing operation upon a tubular blank to provide a portion of reduced diameter at one end,

4 g forming in the wall of the unreduced portion by a longitudinal die drawing operation a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly flaring reces'ses, then operating upon the tube with a suc-Q tudinally extending ribs coextensive with the recesses.

5. The method of making a golf'club shaft which includes performing a longitudinal die drawing operationupon a tubular blank to provide a portion of reduced diameter at one end, forming in the wall of the unreduced portion by a longitudinal die drawing'operation a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly flaring recesses, the recesses beginning at the juncture of the reduced and unreduced portions, then operating upon the tube with a succession of drawing dies of successively smaller diameter to generally taper the tube toward the end from which the recesses begin by drawing the tube into a longi; tudinal series of substantially cylindrical sections of successively smaller diameter and thereby concurrently closing up the sides of the recesses to dispose them mutually adjacent .but out of mutual contact and to form inwardly projecting longitudinallyextending ribs coextensive with the recesses.

6. The method of making a golf club shaft which includes performing a longitudinal die drawing operation upon a tubular blank to provide a portion of reduced diameter at one end,

forming in the wall of the unreduced vportion by a longitudinal die drawing operation a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly flaring recesses beginning at the juncture of the reduced and unreduced portions, then longitudinally die drawing the tube with a succession of drawingdies to taper the tube toward the end at which the recesses begin by drawing the tube into a longitudinal series 1 of substantially cylindrical sections of successively smaller diameters and thereby concurrently closing up the sides of the recesses to dispose them mutually adjacent but out of mutual contact and to form inwardly projecting longitudinally extending ribs coextensive with the recesses, and then taper drawing the section of smallest diameter at the small end of the tube.

'7. The method of making a golf club shaft which includes providing a tubular blank having, portions of unequal diameter, forming in the wall of the portion of larger diameter by a longitudinal die drawing operation a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly open recesses, then longitudinally die drawing the tube to concurrently close up the sides of the recesses and to form inwardly projecting longitudinally extending ribs coextensive with the recesses.

8. The method of making a golf club shaft which includes providing a tubular blank having portions of unequal diameter, forming in the wall of the portion of larger diameter by a longitudinal die drawing operation a plurality of cir- 100 cumferentially spaced outwardly open recesses, then operating upon the tube with a succession of drawing dies of successively smaller diameter to generally taper the tube toward the reduced end by drawing thetube into a longitudinal series of substantially cylindrical sections of successively smaller diameters.

9. The method of making golf club shafts which includes performing a longitudinal die drawing operation upon a seamless tubular blank to provide a portion of reduced dia eter, forming in the wallet the unreduced ortion by a longitudinal die drawing operation an outwardly flaring recess, then longitudinally die drawing the tube to concurrently close up the. sides of 1 the recess to dispose them mutually adjacent but out of mutual contact and to form an inwardly projecting longitudinally extending rib co'-e1 rt ensive with thevreces's.

CARL WRIGHT; 

